Our little cub is growing up fast and that means we can be more creative in the kitchen for her. We love Jenna Helwig’s Real Baby Food cookbook. We used it when the cub was a baby and love it even more with our second baby. The cub helped make her mini turkey meatloaf bites.
The Cub and Grandma DiDi got started by greasing the mini muffin tin pan. Grandma DiDi was having a little too much fun with the oil spray. ha!
Time to make the BBQ sauce! SQUEEZE!
One of the cubs favorite ingredients – maple syrup! It gives the meatballs a sweetness that any cub would love!
It’s always important to taste your creations. Grandma DiDi’s signature move is to taste test with a finger lick. The cub is taking it all in.
Now that they have perfected the sauce, it’s time to add it to the meat.
The cub has been a little fashionista lately and insists on dressing herself. Girl moms, I know you hear me! Todays outfit is three skirts layered.
Back to cooking… time to make the meatballs. The cub loves the texture.
Grandma DiDi shows her how to roll them into balls. The cub is doing an excellent job.
It’s very important to wash your hands after handling meat! Scrub, scrub, scrub!
After she washed up, it’s time to brush the remaining BBQ sauce on the meatballs.
Baked to perfection!
A perfect serving size for baby cub. We break them up into tiny pieces for her to grab with her pincher finger and thumb. We store them in the freezer and pull one out to for an easy dinner option. Makes a perfect meal paired with a vegetable and some fruit.
Mini BBQ Meatloaf Bites
(adapted from Real Baby Food Cookbook )
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 6 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 egg
- 1 lbs. ground turkey
- 1/2 dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease muffin pan or generously spray the cub like Grandma DiDi!
- In a small bowl, make the BBQ sauce by mixing the ketchup, maple syrup, vinegar, Worcestershire and paprika.
- Beat the egg into large bowl and add the turkey meat, breadcrumbs, onion and garlic powders and half the BBQ sauce. Mix well with hands.
- Divide the turkey mixture evenly among the muffin cups. Brush the top with the remaining BBQ sauce.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of each meatloaf reaches 165 degrees F.
Note: We store in the fridge in air tight container for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Also, you can lessen any of the spices if you feel it’s too much for your little one.
The Kitchen Cub 